The Curious Case of Imperial Pilsner: My Antonia Dogfish Head

The lucky man I am, I get a text from my Sister-in-Law that she got me a beer. She works at a wine store, not to be confused with a liquor store so she has access to quality beer at discount prices, talk about a perfect combo :)

Ok so when she gets here I already have a smile ear to ear from the River Horse Tripel and the Steen Brugge Tripel me and my wife just went through. So I saved it for the next day … Its the next day and the temperature in New Jersey has reached 111 degrees in some areas. Perfect day for a crisp refreshing pilsner right?

So as soon as I get home I pop open this bottle, which is wrapped so nicely and has a elegant label. I pour the beer in a tall pilsner glass and immediately the head begins to pile on. As you see from the picture, the head almost poured over the side of the glass. While that does make for a good commercial, it doesn’t make for a happy beer reviewer. I ease up on my pouring and let it slowly pour in.

Appearance: Look at the picture above

Smell: HOPS. That’s pretty much the extent of it. I read reviews that claims to smell all of these things, no sir just hops. I’m not a hop head, so take it for what it is.

Taste: HOPS. After getting passed the rich and creamy head I tasted the bitterness that is hops. After the first sip I had to look back at the bottle to see if I was in fact drinking a pilsner because this sure tasted like an IPA (India Pale Ale).

Overall: Although I enjoyed this Imperial Pilsner, it was not as refreshing as I had hoped. It was more reminiscent of an IPA than a pilsner. Would I have this again? Probably not. Not because it was bad but becuase I’m not much of a hop head. If you like pilsners and like IPAs try this, you’ll be surprised.

About The Author

I'm just a guy who has a passion for good beer. Over the past few years I've been making it a point to introduce my friends to good quality beer and now, all of you. There's a world beyond cold activated cans, clydesdales, green bottles and Mexican clear bottled beer, you just need to tap that keg. Stay thirsty but stay different.